Clarinet.



R. E. RID AY. CLARINET.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10, 1912.

1,060,946. a nt d May 6, 1913.

ROBERT E. RIDAY, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLARINET.

Specification of Iietters Patent.

Patented May 6, 19.13.

Application filed August 10, 1912. Serial No. 714,321;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT E. RIDAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clarinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clarinets and other reed instruments. In instruments of this class a reed is employed adjacent the inlet opening in the mouthpiece; and, for well known reasons, it is desirable to adjust the reed to. vary the interval between the reed and the inlet opening or the face of that part of the mouthpiece forming the wall around the inlet opening.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel, simple and eflicient means whereby the reed may be suitably held in place and whereby the desired adjustment of the reed may be effected, as will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out'in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention: Figure 1, is a side view of a clarinet having one form of embodiment of my invention applied to the mouthpiece thereof, the central portion of the clarinet being broken away. Fig. 2, is a perspective view of the mouthpiece detached from the instrument. Fig. 3, is a transverse section, 'p

on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 2 designates the body of the instrument and 4 the mouthpiece, detachable therefrom in the usual manner, the mouthpiece being provided with the usual inlet opening 5 therein, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

When herein I speak of forward I mean in the direction toward the end of the instrument at which the mouthpiece 4 is located.

' The mouthpiece 4 is provided with a reed 6 of usual construction, having a forward free end portion arranged adjacent the opening 5 or the upper face of that portion of the mouthpiece which surrounds the openin The reed 6 may be constructed of any sultable resilient material, cane usually being employed. The reed 6 rests upon two spaced supporting parts 7 and 8, the part 7 being located forwardly of the part 8 and the mouthpiece being shaped to provide a space between the parts 7 and 8 beneath the reed 6. The supporting part 7 is formed of a part of the body of the mouthpiece 4 and it supports the reed 6 about the center ,the supporting parts,

thereof; and the supporting part 8 is formed of any suitable yielding material forming a pad between the rearward end of the reed 6 and the body of the mouthpiece 4 and supporting the rearward end of the reed.

Surrounding the mouthpiece 4, the reed 6 and the space between the supporting parts 7 and 8 is an expansible and contractible split band or ring 9 having projecting bosses 10 and 11' located one aboveand one below the split portion of the ring 9, as shown. Extending loosely through the boss 10 and screwed into the boss 11 1s a thumb screw 12 having a head engaging the boss 10, whereby when the screw 12 is turned in'one direction the band 9 will be contracted, and when the screw 12 is turned in the reverse-direction the band 9 may be expanded. I

Interposed between the to of the reed- 6 and the upper portion of the and 9 is apro- 'jectin pad 13 which may be made of any suitab 6 material.

When the parts hereinbefore described are assembled, the band or ring 9 holds the reed 6 in place and, by its binding action, forces the reed against the supporting parts 7 and 8 and slightly down into the space between and the band also causes the rearward end of the reed'6 to slightly compress the yielding supporting art or pad 8. When it is desired to increase the slight space or interval between the bottom of theforward free end of the reed 6 and the opening 5 or upperface of the mouthpiece 4, the screw 12 is turned to con tract the band 9, forcing the reed down slightly into the space between the support-' ing parts 7 forward end of the reed 6. When it is desired to decrease the interval between the forward free end of the reed 6 and the opening 5 or mouthpiece 4, the screw 12 is turned to permitthe band 9 to expand and thus permit the reed 6 to spring upwardly within the space between the parts 7 and 8 and thereby lower the forward end of the reed. It will thus-be seen that the reed may be adjusted to nicely vary the intervalbetween the free end of the reed and the inlet opening or the adjacent face of the mouthpiece. Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat-. ent is:

1. In a reed-instrument the combination of a mouthpiece having an inlet opening and 8 and thereby raising the therein and provided with spaced supporting parts arranged one forwardly of the other and having-an open space therebetween, a reed having a forward free end portion arranged adjacent said opening and a rearward portion extending across said space and engaging said supporting parts, and means operative to adjust said reed within said space and thereby vary the interval between the said free end of the reed and said opening.

2. In a reed-instrument the combination of a mouthpiece having an inlet opening therein and provided with spaced supporting parts arranged one forwardly of the other and having an open space therebetween, a reed having a forward free end portion arranged adjacent said opening and a rearward portion extending across said space and engaging said supporting parts, and an adjustable band extending around said space and surrounding said mouthpiece and said reed.

In a reed-instrument the combination of a mouthpiece having an inlet opening therein and provided with spaced sup orting parts arranged one forwardly o the other and having an open space therebetween, the rearward supporting part being formed of yielding material, a reed having a forward free end portion arran ed adjacent said opening and a rearwar portion extending across said space and engaging said supporting parts, and means operative to adjust said reedwithin said space and thereby vary the interval bet-ween the said free end of the reed and said opening.

4. In a reed-instrument the combination of a mouthpiece havin an inlet opening therein and provided with spaced sup orting parts arranged one forwardly o the other and having an open space therebetween, the rearwardsupporting part being formed of yielding material, a reed having a forward free end portion arranged adjacent said opening and a rearward portion extending across said space and engaging said supporting parts, and an adjustable band extending around said space and surrounding said mouthpiece and said reed.

'5. In a reed-instrument the combination of a mouthpiece having an inlet openin therein, a reed having a forward free en portion arranged adjacent said opening and bearing intermediate its ends upon apart of the mouthpiece, a yielding pad havmg its bottom engaging said mouthpiece and its top supporting the rearward portion of the reed, and an adjustable band surrounding the mouthpiece and the rearward portion of the reed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT E. RIDlai'. Witnesses:

S. I. HARPER, A; V. GROUPE. 

